Camera' s Eye

Sundown

2012-01-26T17:47:00.000-06:00

The sunset was a beauty this evening.

End Of The Year Donation

2011-12-29T06:37:00.001-06:00

I’m posting on all my blogs in the hopes that you will learn of this fantastic group who work to help people in arid regions of Africa to care for their environment and to feed themselves.

The Edenland Foundation: http://edengardens.org/
Founded by a fellow Ridgeback owner’s family from Sweden.

Hoping you’ll join me in donating to this great cause. You can send money via PayPals to:: loverescueoperation@gmail.com

Dreary, Dreary, Go Away

2011-12-23T07:02:00.002-06:00

Seems like it's been humid, dreary weather for an eternity around here. Whenever I had some time, the weather was not cooperating. Little chance to get out and go for a walk. I filled up the bird feeder, which has the added bonus ( for the dogs) to attract squirrels and keep them busy despite the rain.

Guy is busy looking for the little rodent..

Magic doesn't want to get off the wet patio, so I guess he's standing guard over the house.

You can always count on Darla to be pointing out the intruder.

Finally! It looks like the clouds might be breaking and give us a couple of days in the clear! Yay!

Fall Color In Mobile

2011-11-11T09:29:00.002-06:00

Here on the Gulf Coast, we don't get a lot of fall foliage colors. We either stay green or go to khaki and bare trees. We do have a few indigenous trees that give us some color - like sweet gum....

....and tulip poplars.

Some of the liveliest colors come from an alien invader - the Chinese Tallow tree and it has multiple colors in the leaves.

Fall Gold

2011-10-16T07:14:00.002-05:00

I love all the golds of the Black Eyed Susans, the Goldenrod...

...and the purples, too.

Coast Cruising

2011-10-08T16:45:00.007-05:00

Yesterday, when Lisa and I decided we'd go on a photo adventure to Ocean Springs, MS, we totally forgot this was the "Cruising The Coast" event that starts there! It's the largest antique car get together around and has all the trappings that come with it....vendors, sightseers, traffic jams up the wazoo.

Oh, well, we're just gonna go down to the beach and marsh and look for birds....and so we did. First stop was right under the bridge where there is a nice little park area with flowers and lovely tile murals.

Individually set, they curve like waves with their backs to the bridge.

Seems the jalopies like that route, too. We no sooner got there when here comes a line of them.

The little park had cruisers of it's own in the form of butterflies..
...
....and skippers.

A Buckeye...

A Gulf Fritillary..
So along with the old cars, the butterflies and friends...

...the pelicans were cruising by and stopping to fish occasionally.

Super cool car.

Pelicans matched the cruisin' cars with their cool sail byes....

Awesome vehicle..

A pelican hovers before dropping head first after a fish.

Splash down!
Coming back around for another go..

Gotcha!
A bit of a rest..

...then taking off again..

...fishing must have been really good today.

We got out of the traffic and went across the harbor, enjoying the shrimp boats and others and over to the Gulf Islands National Seashore camp ground and visitors center.

Being dog people, we were drawn to this photo. An Irish Wolfhound the photo says...but looks like a Scottish Deerhound doesn't it?

Turns out that back during WWII, Cat Island, just off the Biloxi shore, was used to train dogs as scouts! You learn something new everyday!

We took a tour of the campgrounds and crossed this serene little bayou with it's wildflowers and..

...a lone heron. It was a beautiful day and a great tour. Thanks Lisa, for driving...I'd still be lost and looking for the beach!

Boo! Almost Gotcha

2011-10-06T09:09:00.004-05:00

On our morning walk, I almost walked right into a huge web with this spook-tacular owner in residence!

Just In Time For Halloween

2011-09-29T12:35:00.002-05:00

On the back porch early this morning: Ascalapha odorata - the Black Witch moth!

Gulf Fritillary

2011-09-24T12:30:00.002-05:00

From the computer room, my eye caught a flash of orange in the flowers outside, so I grabbed the camera and got these photos of a lovely Gulf Fritillary.

The Turtle Feeding Frenzy

2011-09-19T12:55:00.004-05:00

I took some things to donate to the Environmental Center today while I had help and, of course, took my camera along. Although it was a cloudy day, some animals were out and about.

But first...I wanted to see how the bog plants were doing, didn't figure they'd be really at their peak now, but it's always interesting to visit the bog area.

I checked out the raptor area....cute little Screech Owl.

The Bald Eagle. Notice his left wing is damaged? Most all the birds and some mammals are not able to survive in the wild due to injury, so they are kept to help educate.

Handsome Peregrine Falcon.

There were a couple of butterflies out in the bog area.

Pitcher plants were coming along.

Lots of gopher tortoises out and about on this cloudy day. This fella looks like he had a lost weekend and is trying to sleep off the hangover!

Down at the lake, just show up with some Cheerios and the lake comes alive with turtles of all types...and brim, too.

Cheerios brings out the turtles in mass and the feeding frenzy starts.

Doesn't take long for those Cheerios to go bye -bye!

Hummer Morning

2011-09-15T08:59:00.003-05:00

Early morning these purple flowers open up and the Hummingbirds flock to enjoy them. They only last a day and by evening will have fallen off. I can see the Hummers at work from the computer room. This morning, I grabbed the camera to see if I could get a photo of one of them around the flowers.

... Nope, they didn't like me sitting out there and took off around the house to the feeder out back.

Flowers are still pretty tho.....

The Hummers kept coming back trying to get to the front feeder, so I sat and watched until they were more accustomed to me. Here two of them square off for feeding rights.
...and the winner was a beautiful emerald green male.

A Visit To the Turtle Habitat

2011-08-30T10:55:00.003-05:00

I was over by Girby Road and made a quick stop at the Environmental Center. I love the turtle habitat there....especially that big koi that lives in the pond with the various turtles.

The leaves, the surrounding fence and the sky make for pretty patterns on the water.

Since the residents are accustomed to being fed, they come out and check whenever you stand in once spot for awhile.

Check out the length of those nails! Pedicure, anyone?

Two way pond traffic...

They have a new habitat at the center for two alligators and an alligator snapping turtle. The alligators aren't much longer than the turtle right now.

Bay Front Park

2011-08-29T18:09:00.006-05:00

Down a quiet lane in Daphne, is a small park right on the bay. There is also a building available for rental for parties, weddings, etc....but it was the bay views that drew me there today.

There's a nice pier there for fishing and bird watching.

The bit of sand out there provided shore birds a nice resting place.

Pelicans regularly cruise by..

There's a nice boardwalk over streams and creeks to another beach area.

This shy bird was barely visible.

There were swamp beauties in bloom.

The trail comes out on to a gravel lane, then another boardwalk takes you out to a long pier....great for watching birds come sailing by...off to better fishing grounds.

The boardwalk meanders...

...passing by more flowers and bogs....

...and over a crystal clear stream. ( I thought at first, it was muddy from the color)

The neighboring pier was crowded with several varieties of birds.

A view down the bay..

Up the bay towards the interstate bridge.

A pelican trio..

At the gravel lane, this sign was a bit daunting....however, the only creepy critters about were....

..a giant black grasshopper....and...

...an orb spider with a tiny friend.

Bayous And Bays

2011-08-24T07:39:00.003-05:00

I had to go down to the lower part of the county yesterday, so I thought I'd just make a photo journey while I was at it. I started at Bayou La Batre, a small village of shrimpers and fishermen.

I was surprised to see so many boats still in the bayou docking area this late in the morning.

These photos are taken from the grounds of the Catholic church where the Blessing Of The Fleet takes place earlier in the summer.

There's a monument and prayer for all those who go to sea.

Loved this turquoise colored hull/

A view further up the bayou.

The statue right behind the viewing stand on the edge of the bayou.

Then I went on down to Coden and drove along the bay. Lots of birds taking a noon day break.

Looks lonesome, doesn't he/she?

The bay is deceptive as to depth...a lone wader, a good way out, was poking along in the water, finding snacks.

A view of the marsh on the other side of the road.

Quiet, but hot! Another tranquil day on the bay.

Little Things

2011-08-08T11:26:00.002-05:00

While the dogs were busy eating pears and I was waiting a photo op for them, I found a few small things in the yard..

Like a Jaybird feather...such a lovely blue.

...and this small, yellow pleated-looking mushroom...

..and these very small mini-mushrooms around the base of a dying tree.

Setting Up For Fall

2011-08-06T09:55:00.002-05:00

The hummingbird bush is putting out it's red blooms, but I haven't seen any "hummer scouts" going at it yet.

Along about October, this Virginia creeper vine will be shades of red, pink and orange and should look very pretty against the pine bark.

Black Swallowtail Visitor

2011-08-03T14:54:00.003-05:00

Hard to tell, sometimes, the difference between a Black Swallowtail and the dark phase of the female Eastern Swallowtail. Regardless, they are spectacular butterflies.

The difference is the spotted body and the extra row of orange dots on the lower wings.
Nope, not a butterfly, but standing under a pine, I looked up through the needles and thought these cones were kinda pretty. :-)

Magical Mushrooms

2011-08-01T12:07:00.002-05:00

The first part of summer was dry, dry, dry. We complained.

Then the rains came....and came....and are still coming each afternoon when the sea breezes kick in and the moisture builds up. So now we are wondering when it will slow down. We are never happy....

But the mushrooms are springing up everywhere, dining on the old vegetation. They have a beauty of their own. Sometimes striking, mostly subtle.

Life's A Beach In Mississippi

2011-07-01T17:34:00.007-05:00

I went with Darlene to take the foster kitties back to the Gulfport Humane Society so they could get neutered, microchipped and off to their new home. Yea!

I told her I wanted to come back along Hwy 90 to Ocean Springs so I could get beach photos.....so we did.

Yeah, I know this isn't a beach photo, but there's a business selling pots and they had this cool giraffe, an elephant and a giant chicken there. Last time we went, Darlene wanted that chicken and I wanted this giraffe. Not that we'd ever get them, mind you, I just could imagine the commotion that would happen when my dogs got a load of this giant giraffe in my backyard! LOL!

Meanwhile, down at the beach in Gulfport, they were busy getting set up for the fireworks display for the Fourth of July. This one one of the many areas where you can rent an umbrella and jet skis .... it was practically deserted on this Friday, but I'll bet the weekend will be a lot busier.

There were a few folks about and some families with kids, but by in large, the Mississippi beaches are largely unknown to the rest of the world.

The water doesn't have crashing waves and undertow like other places and the water is fairly shallow out a ways. Makes it great for families with small kids.

These folks are quite a way out and they also anchor the jet skis out as the water is shallow. The beach has lots of "turn ins" and parking areas, so it's easy to find yourself a nice quiet area if you like, or go to one of the rental areas with restrooms and concessions.

Nothing more relaxing than sitting under a canopy, listening to the gentle waves and the wind in the sea oats.

This is the pre-Katrina marina where the President casino use to be. Now, it's just a fisherman's retreat, a place to park your RV or just enjoy looking at the water and sea birds.

It was hot though... even this blue heron was panting..

The view east towards the Beau Rivage and Biloxi.

Only a couple of pelicans and gulls were out, most birds were just chilling on pilings.

Lots of trees died after Katrina, but instead of removing them, artists carved critters out of them. Some artists were better than others...this one didn't have a lot of detail, but we enjoyed them.
A flock of herons carved into this tree at one of the beach parking areas.

As well as this stoic looking pelican.

Bottle nosed dolphin, more commonly called porpoise around here.

This artist was more inventive with a school of porpoise swimming where branches use to be.

Another view...

One of the lovely old homes on the beach front that managed to escape Katrina's wrath.

A couple of sailboats were out. Notice the sand fence post in the foreground, they are slowly but surely gathering sand for dunes again.

Loved this one! Three eagles, two flying, one perched and a whale diving.

The perched eagle.

These heron had more detail carved... I like the formation they make.

Quail and ducks?

The Biloxi lighthouse..made of cast iron and traditionally kept by female lighthouse keepers.

Saw this hole in the heavens when we were going home....cool!

Next time, I'm going to get some photos around Ocean Springs and Gautier, MS.

Dear Friends and Old Places

2011-06-09T15:42:00.006-05:00

Today, I ventured out to the causeway to meet two dear friends from Baldwin county. I had to go by a supply store downtown, so instead of the intrastate, I took an historical route.

Springhill Avenue use to be covered almost entirely by a majestic live oak canopy, but now that exists only in a few sections. Still lovely though...

Turning off Springhill onto the Water Street bypass, I managed this photo of the old US Marine Hospital, which is on the National Register of Historical Places.It's Greek Revival style and was completed in 1842 and operated under the Marine Hospital Service until 1952. Both Confederate and Union troops were treated there. It's now a police station for the city of Mobile.

At the junction where the bypass joins Water Street proper, I got this great shot of the Gulf, Mobile and Ohio building. This Mission Revival style building was built in 1905 and was headquarters for the GM&O Railroad. It's recently undergone a facelift and houses many business offices now. It's also on the National Register of Historical Places.

Took this photo of the RSA Tower and the top of the Marriot while driving! I'm surprised it come out.

The Mobile Convention Center backs up to the river and is next to Riverside Park. Yes, that's a cruise ship on the far right..the terminal is just past the park.

Fishermen look tiny beside the USS Alabama, moored at Battleship Park on the Causeway.

Austil ship builders is the long white building. It's on one side of the Mobile River and the tall skyline of Mobile, on the other.

We all live in a yellow submarine, a yellow submarine..... Couldn't resist taking a photo of this mini-sub outside The Original Oyster House's new digs.

If you are on a boat, you see this view of the OOH's when you tie up at their...

....dock on the bay....Sittin' on the dock of the bay...wastin' time.....Love them old tunes!

No birds were out and about much...turns out several long legged waders were hold up in this tree behind Ed's Seafood Shack. Can you see three of them?

Only a few lone bog plants were blooming...

Two waterbirds came swooping by...don't know what kind they were, they were in a big hurry to get somewhere!

Rain, Rain, Come Again

2011-06-08T19:32:00.003-05:00

It's dry here....really dry. Not at all like south Alabama. The grass crunches, the flowers are hanging in there, thanks to an occasionally watering by me.

Normally, the glads are quite profuse, but this year, there are just a few trying to bloom.

It'll eventually rain on us, it's been trying every afternoon with spotty thundershowers...just takes the right one and the earth will be happy again.

Yellows And Orange

2011-05-31T19:00:00.002-05:00

Yellow and orange ringed mushrooms on a dying tree's base.

A lovely yellow, orange Tiger Swallowtail in the deep shade of the back woods

Everything Old Is New Again

2011-05-16T16:36:00.002-05:00

Darlene and I went out to the causeway for lunch today and, of course, I took along the camera hoping for some good nature shots. It turned out to be a chilly, gray, cloudy day and nature had departed for better fishing grounds!

As we were leaving our restaurant, we looked across the road and there were a bunch of antique cars....apparently a car club going somewhere and they'd stopped for lunch. Love this delivery van with the domed top and snazzy red wheels!

Tried to get Darlene to get out and strike a pose next to this cute green pickup model, but she just gave me the evil eye.

How about these roll up windows on this wood panel one? Cute one!

Neighbor's Birthday

2011-05-12T07:48:00.000-05:00

My neighbor, Kim, and I went to lunch for her birthday. So enjoyable! She has a huge bush of these singlet red roses at the corner of the carport.

Her husband had this lovely bowl of gardenias waiting for her when we got back. They smelled heavenly. All the lovely gifts, the flowers and the food made for a fun day.

What I Did Today

2011-04-30T17:53:00.002-05:00

Today, both the local Toy dog Club and the Mobile Kennel Club held matches at the park. I judged the MKC match, but got there a bit early to watch the toys and to take photos.

Check out this most happy little Pup...having a good time going around the ring.

A Cavalier spaniel pup waiting it's turn to get in the ring.

Here's my Best Adult in Match, a lovely Saint Bernard female. We had a good time and the dogs enjoyed themselves, too.

Sweet Magnolias

2011-04-22T15:08:00.002-05:00

All the magnolia trees are putting out their big, dinner plate sized blooms..

....and giving the whole neighborhood the smell of sweet summer in the air.

Lotsa Lovelies

2011-04-20T10:12:00.002-05:00

Over at the vet's office, they have loads of lovely bloomers, so I took a ride over and got these. I don't know the names of all, but I can still enjoy looking at them!

Cosmos maybe?

This plant is very ethereal with long, waving stems with these lovely flowers. I use to know their name....

I''m sure Liz, the rose lady, can tell me what kind this is...

Stunning color!

Like their own bouquet...

This is a small tree -looking shrub. Beautiful orange flowers.

Honesuckle Vines

2011-04-16T17:58:00.000-05:00

A pesky but sweet smelling vine.

Sunshine Critters

2011-04-11T14:52:00.002-05:00

The bright sunshine always brings out interesting things this time of year....

....like this small Buckeye Butterfly, who was flitting around some grasses near the rock garden.

Also, lazy Ridgeback dogs getting their daily dose of Vitamin D. :-)

Amaryllis Time

2011-04-09T14:11:00.005-05:00

The Milk and Honey ones are finally blooming...they're usually first.

The reds are quite spectacular this year after hardly doing anything showy last year.

Gerberas

2011-04-07T10:22:00.001-05:00

My Gerbera daisies are looking quite good this year!

Azaleas, Azaleas!

2011-03-28T08:22:00.004-05:00

Yep, it's that time of the year again. while north Alabama is still getting cold weather, the southernmost area is blooming!

Unfortunately, it only last about two weeks.

It's The Blooming Season

2011-03-11T07:24:00.002-06:00

The pear tree is in full bloom. The redbuds are starting to blossom...it must be spring!

The pear tree is loaded with blooms. I can only hope we don't have a frost that might kill back the blooms. Sure would like some pears this year.

After yesterday's rainy and angry sky, the Carolina jasmine is striking against the blue, blue sky.

Tenative Spring

2011-02-15T13:14:00.002-06:00

It must be spring, because the cherry tree is in bloom and the bees are a buzzing!

The birds are ravenous, too. While I was trying to get some photos of the bees and blossoms, this pine warbler couldn't wait to get to the new suet cake I had put out.

From out the bedroom window, I can see the feeder and the suet cake. The goldfinches had taken charge of the feeder and a red-bellied woodpecker checks out the suet cake.

Dog River Park

2011-01-29T15:48:00.003-06:00

Today, I went over to Naomi and Gene's house to do Jaxon's nails and visit a bit. After I left their house, it was such a lovely day, I went on down Navco Rd to Dog River Park to have a look see. It's been a long time since I've been there.

They have a nice boat launch area and there were plenty of trucks and empty trailers about, so the fishermen were out having a nice Saturday. The usual gulls were hanging about, the fish were jumping and there were kids and families enjoying the swings.
This shot is looking east from the boat launch area. A couple is setting out in a canoe.

The park is set in a bend, so this shot is looking back towards the main part of the river, which is south of the park.

Over by the truck parking, I saw this killdeer wading in a puddle.

A parting shot of the canoers and the residential side of the river.

Gone To Lunch

2011-01-21T14:59:00.003-06:00

Darlene and I had to go try out a new restaurant out on the causeway that her hubby had raved about... it is sunny and bright, but COLD here today so it seemed like a good plan to us.

The Mobile skyline on I-10, just before the tunnel under the Mobile River. The odd looking building, middle left, is the courthouse...Mobilians call it "the Transformer" (like the robots) building. The tall one, middle right is the RSA tower, the one next to it is a hotel they've put a top on to match the RSA tower.

After we ate and were happy, we stopped along a section of the causeway to see if there were birds about... they saw us coming and soon we were mobbed by gulls looking for a handout. As you can see, it's low tide and a north wind, so there are a lot of mud flats showing. ( Looking southeast down the bay here)

We got our eyes on you.... coming in formation....

I like this one of some on the mud... look at all the bluish shadows like some modern art painting. The sun was bright and the overhead hovering birds made this a very interesting photo!

Like a scene out of "The Birds", the gulls were hovering around and over us...
The tall cranes in the distance are on the mouth of the Mobile River in the ship building area.

Darlene was putting out dog food for them. Hey, we are dog people here and we come prepared...you never know when you'll see some poor dog along the highway and you might need treats.....We come with multiple fold up chairs, too, but that's another story.

Come and get it!

They seem to like it...

Hope it doesn't hurt them... got to be better than white bread...which we can never remember to bring or save...probably because we've eaten it all.

Headed back home on I-10...We are driving due west here. Just to our north is the Cochran Bridge over the Mobile River....the top gives a great view of the river and boat traffic, but not fun to cross when it's windy!

Dauphin Island Birdlife

2011-01-06T18:08:00.003-06:00

Darlene and I rode down to Dauphin Island today...gorgeous day, not a cloud in the sky...but, a bit windy and cool. We went down to the west end, but the park was closed because there was construction of sand berms and they were trying to fill in the Katrina Cut (waste of taxpayers money)

We drove down to the island's "airport"... lots of marsh land around, beauty in it's own right.

Then we rode back to the public pier where Sand Island has collided with Dauphin Island.
We spotted this Great Blue Heron sanding in the dunes area.

The shore birds were amassed on a little slip of beach - gulls, coots and hundreds of tiny birds were feasting on something out there.

There was some kind of sand removal going on...we wondered if this was where they were getting the sand for the west end berms. They were taking it from the gulf side of Sand Island. People were allowed to walk on the island side with their dogs...followed by cruising pelicans.

Love this one of the two pelicans, a gull and Sand Island lighthouse in the distance.

And this one showing the pelican's "arms" in relief...

Then we decided to go to the east end by Fort Gaines. As we were driving through a more residential area, we saw what we first thought was a metal silhouette of a heron - but it was real. Just standing still as a statue by a ditch....even when we stopped to snap a photo.

At the Ft Gaines end, I climbed down the rocks and sat on a stone to see if I could get some shots of all the shells that had washed up, when along comes this fellow.

By the inlet there were loads of gulls and pelicans hanging out..

....and these cute brown ducks.

We stopped briefly at the Indian Shell Mounds, a Mississippian culture dating back to 1100-1550) on the island. There are huge vines hanging from giant oaks back in there...tried to get Darlene to swing on one.... Nope, so I settled for this. LOL!

2010-12-25T15:31:00.002-06:00

The goldfinches have arrived as well as the black-capped chickadees. They have really upped the activity at the feeders and can really put away some seed! Still other birds like the red bellied woodpecker makes stops here, too.
Check out the aerials of this chickadee as I let the camera click away.. from the left side to the right and up...

Then a dove comes in and scares all the others off..

A Pair!

2010-12-21T10:52:00.003-06:00

It was a gloomy morning...cloudy and kinda dark when I raised the blinds on the back. Then I saw them at the top of the old snag....a pair of pileated woodpeckers!

So Cool!

Going To The Birds

2010-12-15T07:43:00.004-06:00

The last couple of days have been c-c-cold here! I have been reduced to spying on the bird feeder out the bedroom window.... it's a lively place and the birds have been enjoying the bounty of food provided for them.

A female cardinal has a nosh..

A male cardinal making a stop....

Sharing with a purple finch...

Even a red-bellied woodpecker stopped by to sample the goods.

Friday Jaunt

2010-12-03T17:33:00.002-06:00

It was such a beautiful day...cool, but not cold, clear blue skies....a great day to check out the area. Darlene and I decided to ride down to the Grand Bay Wildlife Refuge because she'd never been there...so off we went.

We don't have trees that give us a lot of fall color, but the invasive plant called Chinese Tallow trees provide some color in the marsh scrub. Lovely reds, oranges and yellows.
We went all the way down to the boat ramp..which was packed with trucks and trailers of fishermen out enjoying this great day. There must be some herons around as they left their prints on the bank in the mud.
There was this one tiny crab scurrying about...

...and a lone gull sitting on the pier..

It was placid and so quite...

..then a couple of fishermen came back in... Lovely day, they said, but not much luck with big fish, only some bait fish.

Darlene's elderly Beagle, Schroeder, had never seen a large body of water before, so he was totally unprepared for rising water. Guess he thought he'd just trot right through that large puddle.... LOL! When it got up to his tender male parts, he came to a quick halt.
Since it was lunch time, we tooled off to Dog River to the River Shack for lunch. The humidity is way low and the air so clear we could see all the way across the bay to the Montrose area.
There were a few boats out and about, like this nice one...
...and another one just coming in under the bridge.

This and That Photos

2010-12-02T06:52:00.002-06:00

The persimmon tree says it's done for this year....only thing left are these persimmon colored leaves..

Can't believe I forgot to post these photos! This was the same day as the woodpecker visitors. I looked out the back door late in the afternoon and there sat a big hawk!
I took one photo out the window, then locked the dogs in and eased out the backdoor. Took one and the hawk took off.

Woodpeckers!

2010-11-28T09:52:00.003-06:00

I was sitting at the kitchen table and I thought I heard a Pileated Woodpecker. I grabbed the camera and went to the window. TWO of them in the old snag out back!

I knew if I tried going out the door, the dogs would all jump up and make a commotion, so I went over to the door and eased up the blind. Before I could shoot, one took off, but this one stayed.

They are big woodpeckers, about the size of a crow.

Handsome red top knot and white on the face and cheeks.

Wish I could have gotten closer, but they are easily scared off... so I had to settle for these shots. At least I know there are two about... maybe there'll be babies in the spring!

I went out later to walk and there was a Red-Bellied Woodpecker up the same tree.

These woodpeckers aren't nearly as flighty as the Pileated and this one let me get quite close for a photo.

Summer Hold Outs

2010-11-28T06:46:00.002-06:00

My Gerbera Daisies are having a last hurrah. I took this on Friday, before it started raining and turned into winter!

One Of My Neigh-bors

2010-11-20T19:30:00.005-06:00

When leaving out of the neighborhood, this handsome fella is some time standing across the road. I've noticed he's only there in the mornings and evenings.....just about time for people to be leaving for work or coming home. Perhaps he likes to watch the parade of cars?

Looking For Something To Photograph

2010-11-16T17:51:00.002-06:00

I wandered around the yard looking for something interesting or pretty to photograph this afternoon. It's been rainy and gloomy for about 3 days - it was time to get out of the house!

I found this Virginia Creeper vine along the woodsy side. The colors of the leaves reminds me of the "pink" poinsettias that will soon be for sale every where.

Nothing much was of interest in the back, so I went out front. Most of the flowers are gone for this year, so no pretty butterflies were about. Oh, well. Then I went out to get the garbage can and what was this on the lid??
Some sort of leaf-footed bug and it was a big one.... about an inch long in all.

I nudged it along and it dropped to the ground. Interesting pattern on the back.

Sky Watching

2010-11-14T12:35:00.003-06:00

Friday evening, as I was walking around the yard I noticed the clouds coming in from the southwest. To my left were these rippling clouds. Kinda like wind blown sand on the beach.

On the right were these wispy looking clouds, more elongated than the others. Must be a sign that a front is going to come through soon.

Around the Bay

2010-11-02T07:28:00.002-05:00

Monday was such a gorgeous day, blue skies, temperature just right - great day for an outing! My neigbhor, Kim, and I decided to go down to Dog River to the River Shack and have lunch. It's also a great place for photos with the boats going by and the fishermen out in boats and on the pier.

The day didn't disappoint, but we discovered the restaurant is closed on Mondays - Bummer! Beautiful and tranquil view of the river and boats though...

There were a couple of fishermen on the pier outside and we noticed this pelican cruising below, hoping for a handout. Hey! Throw me somethin', mister!

...and, sure enough, they did. This must be a veteran moocher, as it was quick to rise to grab a morsel.

Determined to eat lunch looking at the water, we went off to the causeway to Ed's, which is on the causeway and looking south over the bayway and the marsh.

Nothing about but some grackles....no little gators under the deck, nor shorebirds flying by....but a peaceful, idyllic scene to be savored.

Long Vistas

2010-10-19T11:18:00.005-05:00

Sunday afternoon, Lisa and I rode down to the Grand Bay Estuarine and Wildlife Refuge. Hardly anyone lives there anymore as most got wiped out by Hurricane Katrina. Only two houses were down by the boat dock, but the center had a nice, new building.

It's a seeming desolate place of long vistas... like the train tracks.

And the road seems deserted.... but there's loads of wildlife here..we didn't see them, but we saw tracks. Sound carries a long way in here and there's plenty of time for critters to move to a safe place.

The wildflowers - sunflowers and goldenrod, plus other small bloom bushes were attracting plenty of bees and butterflies.

Even the boat ramp area seemed deserted except for us, one truck and trailer and one guy who showed up with a kayak and went off to the south. Only a few mullet were jumping on this placid bayou.

The woodpeckers were out in force too... no doubt because of all the dead snags to build nest cavities.This lonesome yaupon bush near the water's edge must surely attract it's share of bird life.....

Looking south across the marsh towards the Mississippi sound...

We hiked up a birding trail and came upon this very twisted pine tree with a vine growing on it. Makes you wonder how this happened.

A Gulf Fritillary pauses along the trail.

Plenty of bees buzzing around the goldenrod.

A bit of drama - a wasp and a Monarch butterfly square off over a bit of goldenrod.

Coat Colors

2010-10-18T09:14:00.003-05:00

I rode over to Baldwin county to Dr Bercier's clinic for both equine and canine reproduction with Darlene. She collecting one of her Beagle males. It was a beautiful day without a cloud in the sky.

While the doc had only her grey Thorobred at the clinic, the neighbor's horses provided a study in coat colors.

A creme palomino. Wonder what the genetics are?? Dilute chestnut perhaps?

The palomino is pasture mates with a chestnut.

In the next field there was this handsomely patterned horse.

Same horse, different side... can't remember what the color pattern on this pinto is...will have to look it up.

The grey...

Another chestnut and a buckskin pair in the back field..... something so soothing about watching horses in the pasture.

Fall Light

2010-10-11T11:48:00.002-05:00

Across the fence, in the field next to us, the wild, fall plants are doing their thing. This one is poisonous to livestock, but the hummers love it.

The light and shadows are strong this time of year... but interesting as well.

Fall Is In The Air

2010-10-02T15:44:00.004-05:00

Today, Lisa and I drove over to Pascagoula, MS for the Zonta (don't ask me where they came up with the name) arts and crafts festival. There were the usual and the unusual items, the festival food, music and the crowds that a beautiful day brings out. Yeah, we found some neat stuff to buy for stocking stuffers for Christmas, of course.

We stopped by the old train station turned Arts Museum and checked it out.
Then we ate lunch and came home.

You can tell it's fall with all the wildflowers in the verge of the road. Mostly yellows right now - black-eyed Susans and goldenrod just beginning to show.

Fields of cotton ready to be picked.

The black-eyed Susans will soon be joined by purple flowers of all sorts and pitcher plants in the boggy areas.

Eatin' My Words

2010-09-16T09:12:00.002-05:00

Well, my last post stated my hummers wouldn't share...this morning the feeder was really busy and I got these photos:

Two sharing the feeder:

Then, THREE birds sharing...

Another comes in...but wasn't welcomed, but did briefly grab some nectar with the other three.

Not so good photos because I was shooting into the sun thru a window and screen.

The Hummers Are Back

2010-09-13T15:38:00.003-05:00

The feeder is out and there is a constant flurry of activity on the front porch with the hummers battling over who has the right to drink at the feeder. Here's the current "owner" after having driven off that upstart.

Every morning, there is a new battle for the daily ownership. I know people who have 3 or 4 hummers happily feeding at one time at their feeders... but not around here.

My neighbor and I put our several feeders - one in front and one in back - but still there is one bird that thinks it owns them all!

I've only seen what I supposed to be a parent and offspring both sit at the feeder.

A Bit of Color

2010-09-01T13:37:00.003-05:00

On our early morning walk, the sun peeked through the leaves and pointed out this lovely bit of color in the brown decaying leaves.

Differences

2010-08-26T16:01:00.003-05:00

It's been too hot to even go out and try for photos this past couple of weeks. Today, was a bit less humid, though still hot, and I felt like taking pictures - anything! Surely, there was something around the yard that was interesting.....and there was.

An ordinary mushroom surrounded by dark leaves and twigs...interesting textures and light.

Then, I passed by this tree and saw the "gator eye"..... looks like it's saying " I got my eye on you!"

The butterfly bush is always a good place to find something and, sure enough, along came this female Eastern Tiger Swallowtail... looks like she had a tangle with something as her right wing is damaged at the bottom.

There were some large bees around.... one seemed to be chasing this one... a bumblebee, looks like...

Then when I was looking at them in the photo editor, I saw one was not a bee at all....
A "bee moth"...they look so similar at a glance... the head, antennae and the "together" body show the difference. The bee moth did not light on the flowers as the real bee did, rather it hovered like a hummingbird. This is the Snowberry Clearwing or Bumblebee Moth.

DI 29

2010-07-29T06:40:00.004-05:00

I'm a Volunteer Field Observer for the Mobile Bay Keeper group. Yesterday, fellow VFOB, Debra, and I walked our grid, DI 29, down on Dauphin Island. It starts at Ft Gaines and goes to the end of the bird sanctuary. Beautiful stretch of beach!

Since Ft Gaines is right at the mouth of Mobile Bay, there are some rocks they put out as a breakwater and birds like to hang out there, although today, they must have been out fishing elsewhere.... only one lone gull sitting out there.

This stretch also goes behind the Dauphin Island Sea Lab which has a natural buffer area behind it and that's where this photo of the sea oats and wildflowers was taken.

Plenty of shore birds were scurrying for lunch along in front of us.

They are always so speedy...sharp eyed little birds running along the waves looking for morsels.

Then there was this larger shorebird.... not sure what kind it was, but it was seemingly unconcerned with us walking behind it.... It stopped and preened, then would search the waves a bit more.

We did find some small, clear jellies that had washed up....typical for this time of year and we took it for a good sign that they'd not been killed by the oil in the Gulf.

On the way back, we stopped for a spell at the campground's shelter to fill out reports and to let me rest! Way too out of shape... Afforded me a chance to snap this close up of the stand of sea oats next to it though.... Oh, for a hammock as there was great breeze, the lulling sound of the waves lapping the beach....could have had a great snooze there!

As we left the beach gazebo, there were several gulls lined up.... having some sort of meeting, I guess. ;-)

Back at the car, we had a good view of the Ft Morgan/Ft Gaines ferry going across with the blight of oil rigs in the background.

The lone sentinel cannon on watch at Ft Gaines.

Great walk, I came home and took a nap!

Rain, Rain, Go Away

2010-07-26T08:39:00.001-05:00

Yesterday, it rained on and off all day. During one particularly long storm with lots of thunder and lightening, I happened to look out the back and saw this hawk sitting up in the old snag. I had to photoshop it to make it brighter. Don't know what kind it is, but handsome bird regardless!

Looks rather falcon like, don't you think?? Might be a falcon for all I know..

The dogs were restless and wanted to go for a walk. They like to stand or sit in front of me and stare....as if I control the weather and if they stare long enough, I'll do something about that rain and we can all go outside! Well, at least somebody thinks I can work miracles. LOL!

Magic doing his version of a stare down...

Harmless To Psychedelic

2010-07-24T17:47:00.002-05:00

A Sleepy Orange butterfly enjoys the lavender flowers...

A dragon fly enjoys the warmth of the concrete porch..

A Blue Tailed Skink suns on the window sill. These little fellas can spell death or a very psychedelic trip for any cat that tries to eat one.

Road Block

2010-07-16T13:43:00.003-05:00

Today, I met up with Debra to go do our Volunteer Field Observer grid for the COAST coalition watching for oil on the beach, broken boom, fish kills, etc. Rain was moving north, so we figured by the time we got to Dauphin Island and our grid, the rain would be gone. So, off we went. Had our sunscreen, hats, sun glasses, GPS, paperwork...and most importantly - our cameras! 'Cause we both like to take photos.

Unfortunately, this was a far as we could go today....The Dauphin Island Bridge. We decided to wait awhile. Debra showed me how to use the GPS they provide, looked at the grid and decided the best place to park, etc, while we waited.

A succession of boats came by...this small shrimper by the side of the bridge.

Some barges, some more shrimpers...

Finally, we tried calling someone to see if they could check the news for what happened. Turns out there had been a car/truck that caught fire, a fireman rescued the guy from the vehicle, but the bridge would be closed until further notice. RATS!

So, we turned around and came home. Maybe next week we can try again.

Dragonflies Galore

2010-07-13T13:39:00.001-05:00

Tons of dragonflies are out and about like sparkly jewels of many colors.

Butterflies Are Back

2010-07-04T07:33:00.005-05:00

Yesterday, the butterfly bushes were doing a great business feeding a variety of flying critters. I saw this sulphur butterfly flitting about....not as quickly as they usually are AND not as skittish.

I noticed that it seemed to have some other color pattern on the top side, so I waited with the camera and just started continuous shooting until I managed to get one with it's wings open.

Not the greatest focus, but enough to see the dark edges. I went to the butterfly and moths of North America to try and find out the name of it. The closest I could find was Mead's Sulphur - BUT, according to their site, these butterflies are found in the Rocky Mountain areas! I reported it thru the site and the AL coordinator wrote me back and said it's a Sleepy Orange (abaeis nicippe). I noticed they didn't have a photo with the wings open! Nor did they have a sighting for Mobile county.... now, they do.

Also saw this small, dark colored butterfly, which I think is a Horace's Duskywing.

American Lady Comes To Visit

2010-06-30T10:12:00.002-05:00

I saw this small, colorful butterfly this morning as I was going to get the garbage can...Ran back in and grabbed the camera. I have photograph similar ones, but mislabeled them on the blog. I know now that it's an American Lady butterfly..

I had thought it to be a Painted Lady before, but seeing the underside of the wing identified it as the American Lady. Love that salmon patch and the "eyes".... Beautiful!

Blooms And Butterflies

2010-06-25T10:22:00.002-05:00

My two butterfly bushes are going great guns....and attracting loads of swallowtails. Next to the lavender one, these bright, orange blooms made a great contrast. Last year, this "grass" looking plant didn't bloom at all, so I was pleased to see them get back in the game.

A Palmedes Swallowtail enjoys some nectar..

I can never remember the name of this plant! It's blooms are like Amarillos, but they are spikier and do their thing in June and July. It is a tropical plant, it dies back here in the winter, but comes back in the spring.

River Trip

2010-06-20T16:45:00.004-05:00

I went with Darlene and Bill over in MS to take a ride up the Escatawpa ...can't remember what the name of the landing was, but there were several houseboat cabins around.

Our main objective was to see the Osprey and their chicks. ...and we did! Several nests with one or two chicks that looked ready to fledge. The one below actually had 3...two still on the nest and one had made it over to another tree...and was rather unhappy about it.

The mamas were REALLY PISSED when we stopped for a look. They'd take off, circle, make "I'm pissed and I'm BAD" noises at us.

There were interesting other sights up the river, too... like this old snag with bottles decorating it.
This was Father's Day and we watched the granddad, son and cute daughter go off on jet skis.

Here's slide show of the best photos...just click and it'll start again.

At the landing, there as a sign "Wake speed", so that the boaters would slow down...as you were leaving the area, there was another sign "Haw Lass"....just say it a couple of times and you'll get it. :-D

Cruising the Causeway

2010-06-03T15:03:00.003-05:00

Kat Walkoviak is visiting Orange Beach and we had planned on doing lunch some time or the other. This morning it was raining here when she called and said "How about lunch today?". So we decided to meet at Ed's on the Causeway. The Causeway is Mobile-speak for the area where the Mobile Delta meets the northern tip of the bay. It's loaded with great seafood joints!

Even though it was cloudy and rainy in spots, I took my camera..... just in case. I decided to go through Pritchard and across the Cochran Bridge on to the old Causeway.

Without looking to see what I got, I shot this out the window as I went across the high rise bridge. Came out better than I thought! Looking south down the Mobile River.

After we ate, it stopped raining and we went out on the deck to see what we could see and chat a bit. Here's a view looking west towards Mobile.

Looking to the east, over the marsh, towards Spanish Fort in Baldwin county.

Below the deck was a jungle of marsh plants, including these purple blooming ones.

Mostly grackles and one red winged blackbird were about, but this blue heron came cruising by us.

This sign was on the deck.... lots of folks stopped and asked us if we'd seen the alligator. Guess they don't know this whole area is packed with them!

There were two little gators just below the deck at the water's edge. Can you find Waldo in this photo??

This one was out of the water more... looked like it had enjoyed a couple of good meals as it's tummy looked mighty rounded. Both were only about 2 feet in length from stem to stern.

What would a trip across the causeway without a view of the USS Alabama??

Oily Isle?

2010-06-02T14:38:00.004-05:00

Darlene and I rode down to Dauphin Isle this morning. With a scene like this, you'd think it was an ordinary day at the beach, but yesterday, the news reported oil blobs coming ashore in this area.

The parking area was full of local news vans and a CNN truck.....they had to be there for other than the possible oil blobs.

The local bird life was going about their usual business.... the pelicans were flying...

The shorebirds were darting into the water and on the sand...

A blue heron went sailing by on its way to a better fishing spot..

Other sea birds were swooping and diving for fish....

Pelicans were cruisin'...

....and then came the BP show....an army of workers, complete with their own port-o-pottie, came marching on to the beach....

.....trooped down to where a couple of guys with a truck were located.

.....all to show the news folks they were ready to clean up the beach. Turns out all that was down there was a few quarter sized blobs mixed in some beach debris, in an area about 3 ft long.
Yes, I'm sure that was to impress the press. Meanwhile the local Channel 10 news snagged Darlene, who gave them an earful.....

And... CNN was interviewing a comely Coast Guard person.....and blocking pier access.

We finally got by and went down to the east end of the island, by Ft Gaines and walked down to the shore through the bird sanctuary. There were bales of hay stacked all along the beach up at the high tide mark.

At Cedar Point, we stopped to take a photo of the only booms in the water that we could see. Guess this was to protect this bit of marsh.

We noticed this enterprising heron, who had found the perfect fishing perch on the boom. Happy fishing, little guy !

Something Cool

2010-05-27T13:47:00.003-05:00

I found this cool application to make shapes with your photo files. I made this one from my growing collection of agility trial photos, then added text to it.

Then I loaded several flower photos into their own file and made this rectangle shape
Still learning the program, but if you want it go to Photo Collage and get your free download.

Alien Beauty

2010-05-27T06:32:00.003-05:00

In the field next door, there are Mimosa trees gone wild. The Mimosa, or Silk Tree, is an ornamental plant that was imported from China and has escaped into the wild. They grow like weeds in the south.

Still, in bloom, you certainly have to acknowledge their natural beauty....a tropical vista without having to leave home.

Down Mississippi Roads

2010-05-17T15:52:00.004-05:00

My neighbor, Mildred, and I took a short ride over to Wade, MS into the Pascagoula Wildlife area. Along the way, we spotted some very interesting things and critters.

Like these Longhorn Cattle. Get a load of those things...and this is a cow.

Across the road in another pasture was an even more impressive head set. See, even that cattle egret is amazed.

From the Escatawpa bridge, a photo down stream to the canoe rental place.

Passing through Hurley, we saw these adorable mini-donkeys and a regular sized one with them.

From tiny to really big.... This Clydesdale horse stands out from his friends.

A swamp flower near the boat launch in the wildlife area.

Looking north under the bridge. The water is cream and coffee colored from the rain we had the other day.

A cypress tree and stump near the bank.

A view from the top of the bridge...

...and another. Fish were jumping and splashing about.... We wished we'd had a pole to try our hand at catching a few.

Green Things

2010-05-16T08:31:00.002-05:00

My garlic patch is blooming. It's not the kind of garlic that makes those bulbs that you buy at the store. It's has a very mild flavor and you chop up the lower stems like green onions instead. It's really quite nice.

This time of year, the head opens revealing an allium - type cluster of flowers.

Sometimes they look like they are wearing a cap, sometimes the cover is thrown off to the side.

The patch sits along the side of my walking path.... unfortunately, to Ozzie it's a place to leave his "mark". Eeewww!

It rained last night and a trailing vine looks like it's strung with water diamonds.

We Need Hair!

2010-05-10T08:01:00.003-05:00

No, this is not something silly.... clean hair soaks up oil and there is a group who collects hair - human and animal -stuffs it into nylon nets and packs it off to groups for oil spillage.

Matter of Trust collects boxes of hair, nylons, etc for groups all over. Here's a video ( really cool music, too!) They then recycle the oil in various ways.

What can you do....Well, print off the information from the link below, take it to your hair salon, barber, pet groomer and get them on the program!

http://matteroftrust.org/programs/hairmatsinfo.html

Help us save wildlife and the seafood and tourist industries along the Gulf Coast. Please pass on the information to get the word out.

The Bane And The Beauty

2010-05-08T12:02:00.002-05:00

How could such lovely blooms be the bane of the spring? Wild privet... I'm so allergic to them...just when I was about to get over the bout from the pine and oak pollen, here comes the privet!

Southern Magnolias in bloom - big, gorgeous, sweet smelling bits of heaven.

Early morning, back lit Sycamore leaves.... love the shades of green.

Calm Before The Crisis

2010-05-07T14:25:00.004-05:00

Bayou la Batre - the colorful shrimp boats should not be here this time of the day. They should be way out in the Gulf, but those waters are closed now because of the massive oil spill in our Gulf.

Two fishermen in Portersville Bay out from Coden, Alabama. Catch'em while you can fellas.

How do we explain to these fellows there will be no food for them if the oil spill reaches their refuge and spoils their way of life? Gulls, pelicans and a cormorant take a mid-day rest.

An idyllic scene along the bay front just east of Coden.

The Coden inlet.

Sea birds line old pier pilings... left after Hurricane Katrina.

Brown pelicans, a variety of gulls and terns siesta between morning and evening feedings.

These two are obviously use to being fed by visitors to this little pier.

Looking back towards Coden on Portersville Bay Rd.

Late Blooms

2010-04-23T10:34:00.002-05:00

All my flowers seem to be late this year. Must have been the colder winter.

The Amarillos are usually done by now, but they'd just opened.

The Gerbera Daisies usually get going earlier, too, before the Glads get so high.

Let The Blooming Begin!

2010-04-18T09:57:00.002-05:00

There's a small woodsy area in back where these sweet, blue wildflowers flourish in the shady spots.... they are quite a pale blue, but show up well against the fallen leaves.

Growing high in the trees, the Cherokee roses spill down those vines and add loveliness to an otherwise drab spot.

Like A Garden

2010-04-15T15:58:00.002-05:00

The view from my front yard along my neighbor's azaleas.....Gorgeous!

First Butterfly

2010-04-11T12:09:00.003-05:00

The first photo capture of a butterfly for me this year. I did see it the other morning in the front yard, but couldn't get a photo... It's a Palamedes Swallowtail.

One of the azalea bushes along my side fence... towering, gorgeous blooms!

Awash In Blossoms

2010-04-10T10:33:00.004-05:00

This is the week of the Azaleas. All over Mobile, the bushes are loaded with pinks, salmon, white, purple and red.

A couple of shots of my "Pride of Mobile" variety..

My crabapple tree isn't too shabby itself.... love the variation from reddish to white blooms.

Around The Yard

2010-04-05T18:28:00.002-05:00

It's officially spring - the birds are nesting, the flowers are blooming, the pollen is flying, people are sneezing, sniffling and coughing... ah, yes, springtime in Mobile.

Like most of the population, I try not to stay outside too much as I'm prone to allergies, especially to oak, pine and pecan tree pollens. But, you can't just stay in.... it's too nice and pretty outside!

Took a walk around the back with the dogs and noticed a few things: like this on a pine tree.... What is it? Some kind of bug trails??

Let me know if you know...

My azaleas are really to pop, they've got tons of buds.... found this pink one opened up around the bottom of a bush.

My tiny RedBud tree.... actually it wasn't tiny at all, but got knocked down by Hurricane Ivan. I cut off the tree to the stump and this has grown back.

A close up of it's lovely flowers.... soon to be replaced by green, heart shaped leaves.

Almost Gone

2010-03-24T15:30:00.002-05:00

The Goldfinches are almost ready to leave and go back north. They're getting more beautiful each day - turning from dusty brown to bright gold with striking black points. Too bad we only get to see the colorful birds so briefly - then they are gone for the summer.

Faint Signs of Spring

2010-03-23T16:31:00.003-05:00

It's been a cold winter by Mobile standards and the faint signs of spring are a welcomed sight.

Though not profuse, the wild RedBuds are putting out some tiny, delicate blooms.

My blueberry bushes are heavy with blossoms, although there still aren't many bees around them.

Even the wild blueberries are bee free...

Trees are leafing out...

The Confederate Jasmine is wonderful..

The Barberry is also lovely... ( I don't know if this is Barberry, but it's all I've ever known it was called)

A Flash of Color

2010-02-23T12:03:00.002-06:00

The weatherman promised us some sunshine today, but early on it was chilly and gray.... but I found some color anyway.

Way out back, along a shady area, there is this variegated bush which provides some color in a brown landscape.

In the brown of the grass and the bare tree branches, there are Eastern Bluebirds flitting around looking for insects and worms.

There are Blue Jays at the feeder.....

...and the ever present opportuntisic squirrels looking for some sunflower seeds.

Snow Mobile

2010-02-12T11:41:00.006-06:00

Yesterday morning, the sky was pepto pink at dawn. Red sky in the morning, sailors take warning.... Well, it was cloudy, windy and cold all day. It was very cold at agility practice last night. The weather man was predicting snow beginning after midnight - although it does snow in Mobile, it's only about every 10 years or so and it's been 14 years - so we were due.

This morning, I had to go for some doctor's test EARLY, naturally it was only rainy and cold but they were still saying it would snow later, so the schools were out and it made the traffic quite light. I was their only patient...seems everyone else rescheduled...so I got top priority and was in and out in less than an hour - Yea!

On the way home, I decided to stop at the store and get a few things. When I went in the store, it was still raining. When I came out it was sleeting and when I turned onto my road, there were snowflakes mixed in. I ran in the house, dumped the groceries and grabbed my camera - gotta keep your priorities straight!

I went out the back and tried to get the dogs to go out from under the porch roof... only Magic would venture out and he wasn't sure about that white looking stuff landing on his nose and back.

Since it had rained a lot last night, the yard was like wading in a creek, but I got on my rubber shoes and ventured out. The cherry tree's blooms looked cold...

The dogs that came out with me were all doing a 3 legged hop.

Guy says "Brrrrrrrrrr".....

Looking at the back of the house..

The far back of the yard... the snow was only beginning to stick to drier areas.

Out front looking northward..

Towards the neighbor's yard... (We were doing some agility courses yesterday in the front)

My side yard....

The garden "snow" globe...

Then the sun peeked out and "poof", the snow on the ground was gone. There are still a few flakes around now. Tonight it will freeze and we'll have crunchy grass and slick roads. Naturally, I'm going to an agility seminar semi-outside.... excuse me, I've got to go find my long underwear!

The Great Indoors

2010-02-08T12:32:00.004-06:00

After enduring the frigid blast of cold this past weekend at the agility trial, I decided I needed some warmer gloves and socks. Where to buy such as that in Mobile? I checked on line for some items from a large outdoor chain, but remembered there was another one right across the bay. I decided to take a ride over and see what they had. A big advantage would be to actually try some gloves on to see if I like them.

So I piled in the van and at the last moment I threw in the camera in case there was something interesting to photograph on the causeway - usually lots of birds out and about in the water and marsh.

Seems they'd all gone down the bay by the time I got going, but the Bass Pro Shop is a very interesting photo op in itself!

It has a simulated marsh/stream area out front by the restaurant that has waterfalls,

...and meanders along under some bridges....

...to a mini-pond with boats and a fisherman statue.

Loved the iron Alligator door pulls...

The lobby is a huge atrium with a fireplace on the right and this wall of native members of the deer family - moose, elk and white tailed deer. (If you don't like seeing mounted animals, then quit now. In their defense, Bass Pro Shops supports many wildlife programs, etc through the sale of hunting and fishing equipment.)

They have dioramas galore! All around the upper floor are all sorts of wildlife, like these wild hogs.

A bobcat and a opposum were hanging out on this tree branch up on the second floor.

The view above the fishing center with schools of all kinds of fish...

At the back of the store there is a huge fish "pool" tank with live fish and a diorama around and above it. Lots of rock, trees and waterfalls surround it and the stairs to the second floor are behind it making a grotto with view points down to the pool and into the pool. Here is a part of it... a bear peering through some branches.

Going down, there was a bear appearing to climb a fallen tree to get at some..

turkeys, who were nestled into a niche with rock and ferns.

A mom and her little boy followed me down the stairs and he was fascinated by the fish in the pool. (That red shirt and the green glow of the pool made a great shot!)

Looking up the diorama at the front of the grotto/staircase, I snapped this photo and didn't see there was a bit of "real life" in it until I looked at it on the computer....see that guy's hinny just below the deer on the right and right above the waterfall. LOL!

Couldn't resist this shot of a hammerhead and friends on my way to the checkout. Yes, I did find some nice, warm gloves, some socks and a jacket on sale, too.

Oh, and I forgot to add that the store is pet friendly, so you can bring your dog and walk around inside, too. There was a family with a Vizsla leaving when I arrived.

Went back across the bay on the old causeway and snapped this photo of the Mobile skyline just passed Battleship park.... looking from the east side of the Mobile river.

A Visit To The Island

2010-01-27T09:56:00.006-06:00

Yesterday was GORGEOUS - perfect for a trip down to Dauphin Island to visit with Jan, a fellow club member who is a snowbird from Wisconsin. They stay at the campground on Dauphin Island and it's right next to the Audubon Bird Sanctuary.

One of the trail heads is mere feet from their campsite, so off we went. The trail went deep into tall pines and then to a nice boardwalk over the dunes to the beach.

Coming off the beach we met these ladies with their pack of Labradors, who had been having a marvelous time playing in the chilly surf. This is a wonderful place where responsible dog owners can still take their pets for an enjoyable walk and romp. The campground even has a dog park and convient stations for poop bags!

Palmetto clumps and pines.... very typical of this environment.

The view of a pond from the bird banding tower. There is a big bird banding event held each year in April right here on the island.

Fixer - upper, anyone? An old Osprey nest looks like it could use some sprucing up.

We didn't see or hear many birds - odd for a bird sanctuary, but it was mid-day and the birds were probably off feeding somewhere else. There were several butterflies around though.... like this shy Monarch. I think we spotted at least 3 Monarchs during our walk.

A couple of sulfur butterflies, too. They didn't seem as lively as the summertime ones are.... perhaps because of the chilly temperature?

I don't know what kind of butterfly this small one is... if you know, email me and let me know. The closest thing I found was a Red Admiral.

A delicate, feathery clump of mushrooms on a decaying tree..

Sunshine sparkles on the sanctuary lake...

On the other end of the lake, there is a bench and viewpoint and it has lovely views of the water reflections..

A cluster of water lily pads - a la Monet!

As we started to leave the view point, we spotted a resting Great Blue Heron taking a noon siesta.

We walked back to the campground via the beach... a few shells lined the waves edges.

A flock of seabirds was having a noon time snack... I don't know if these are Plovers or sandpipers.

Whatever they are, they are entertaining.... running along the waves, then stopping to check the wet sand for treats.

A old pine's roots sculpted by Mother Nature...

The Sand Island lighthouse and friend. All that's left of the island is the lighthouse and rocks. Check out the older photos of the lighthouse HERE.

One of Jan's dogs won this chair at a show. The lady who makes them creates them individually for which ever breed of dog wins. Gotta find out her name! Gorgeous!

Jan's husband had gone fishing with some other campers and they caught a mess of sheephead. We had to go over and admire the catch of the day.

Check out the choppers on this fish.

Then we practiced some agility drills and I came home. All in all, it was a great day.

Butterfly Dogs

2010-01-23T07:15:00.004-06:00

Yesterday, I went down to Becky's and we spent the day talking dogs, taking photos , buying a camera and doing lunch. Dogs, photography and food - a refreshing afternoon in my book!

As you might guess, Becky has Papillons - named after the way their ears and hair fringe flares out like butterfly wings. This dog yard gate was made by her husband - hence the "Becky's Butterflies".

The Paps ideally have a white blaze that simulates the butterflies body, but they don't have to have it. Honestly.... look at this cute dark faced puppy - is she not the cutest thing on the block???? ....and sassy, too!

This handsome fellow, called Billy, is visiting from Germany. He's here to become an American champion, added to Becky's pack and then go home. He's a nice boy and very photogenic!

Misty Morn

2010-01-19T11:28:00.003-06:00

It was a bit foggy this morning as I started out on my walk. The field beyond the fence was shrouded in mist, even from across the back.

The sun was coming up fast and creating sparkles on the leaves covered in water droplets,

A tree and the fence are having a war - the fence won't give and so the tree envelopes making bark bricks in the trunk
.

Overhead, a goldfinch, now starting to turn yellow, enjoys a breakfast of popcorn tree seeds. ( Chinese Tallow Tree)

Name That Bird

2010-01-18T10:20:00.004-06:00

See that bird on the right? I say it's a Purple finch, given the amount of maroon coloring on it's head and breast. Lisa says it's a house finch. My bird book guide says Purple finches winter around here and the house finches are introductions from the west. Anyone know for sure?

Although this was the best of the photos, I think the bird on the left might be a house finch - female - as it did have a bit of reddish coloring under the chin. Middle bird is a female cardinal.

Playing With Photo Elements

2010-01-16T12:04:00.002-06:00

Today is rainy and wintry looking... but yesterday was nice, a bit overcast, but great for practicing agility and taking photos...no harsh winter sun shadows.

One of our club members, Heather, was chosen to judge at the 2010 AKC Agility Invitationals and she needed a good photo for their website. Naturally, she wanted her dogs in there, too!

So we met at the agility field and took photos.... it took loads of photos as getting 4 dogs to cooperate isn't easy. They wander off, they fall on their backs and stick their feet in the air, they lick their noses, shut their eyes, they lick each other and the owner and they attempt to jump off where you want them and the owner is stretched to the max!

Anyway, we did get one we could live with, I put in on the JustPhotos blog if you want a look.

Then we practiced with our dogs. I took this photo of Poet, Heather's oldest dog, who is now deaf, but still likes to come out and run through the tunnels. He was standing so pretty, just waiting for his turn.

I think I had the camera set on area and instead of focusing on the dog, the background was sharper and the dog was a bit fuzzy. I cropped it and was playing with various filters in PhotoElements. I took out the background and cloned in the grass, then tried again.

The result was this image using the watercolor filter. I like the effect!

New Siberia?

2010-01-06T10:43:00.002-06:00

We have an unusually long cold snap - at least for those of us in Mobile. One or two nights in the twenties and we think we've had a hard winter! Well, all this week it's been in the twenties and going into the teens by tomorrow. Very bizarre weather indeed!

Anyway, I felt sorry for all the winter birds, so I went off to Walmart and bought new bird seed supplies and added a thistle bag for the finches and a suet log, too.

A cardinal and a finch square off for eating territory in the seed feeder.

When I first looked at the thistle bag this morning there were about 6 birds on it, but by the time I located the camera, they had gone elsewhere.

This goldfinch (They are kinda greenish looking right now) has the suet log all to itself. I hope the squirrels don't realize I moved it over to another tree. The little devils were emptying it nearly over night where it was. Gotta get a squirrel feeder to put way out back to attract them out there and get them to leave the bird's food alone.

New Year, New Moon

2010-01-01T06:54:00.002-06:00

A new moon, a "blue moon" and a new year - Here's hoping yours will be fabulous!

Love all your friends, family and furry family members..... Look for the positive traits and not the flaws.....Put them on a "pedestal" of love. (Prize is already practicing on her pedestal!)

Merry Christmas

2009-12-25T07:04:00.003-06:00

After a Christmas Eve day of rain and wind, the clouds are blowing away.....

The first day of Christmas is here and it's cold and blustery - the dogs LOVE IT and are ready to romp.....

Wishing all of you a Merry Christmas season and a joyful, safe and wonderful New Year.

Scenes From Yesterday

2009-12-10T10:55:00.002-06:00

Yesterday started out rainy and miserable - but, then the sun came out and the foggy look evaporated and the dogs wanted to go for our walk about.

When I came by the wild blueberry bush, the sun was filtering through the trees and it looked so pretty with it's leaves beginning to turn.

I'm fascinated by bark - tree bark and it's patterns and the sycamore tree just looked like strength and poise without all it's leaves.

A Cherokee Rose hip.... looks like some kind of space alien with it's brilliant orange, spiky, bulbous body and dark "antennae".

Later, on the way back from agility practice last night, I took some neighborhood decoration photos... mostly to test out which setting was best with my camera in the dark.

...and BTW, Have a Merry Christmas!

Caramel Colors

2009-12-04T10:32:00.002-06:00

Doesn't this leaf look luscious? Such a rich brown with interesting folds.

Even this fungus growing on a dying street looks rich and bubbly...

....and the Pampas Grass all sugary brown.....

Wait. I must just be really craving some caramel! I need a snack....

Leftovers

2009-12-02T11:56:00.003-06:00

I actually took these the first part of June, when Lisa, Denice and I decided to go for a wildflower ride around the lower part of the county. I have no idea what these ditch flowers are called. I just thought they were pretty.

These pitcher plants were in a piney bog area just off the road.

There were a nice variety of sizes and shapes.

I thought these clumps of pinkish white plants were handsome in their own right.

And a dead saw palmetto leaf with the sun shining through made an interesting rainbow of color.

Being animal lovers, too, we stopped to admire these burros, who the land owner had gotten from out west in a Bureau of Land Management round up.

From sparse to an over abundance of greenery, these donkeys are now living large.

FINALLY!

2009-12-02T05:58:00.003-06:00

Imagine my surprise to find out that my blog didn't exist one morning. Imagine what I thought when I found out that Blogger had "locked" it, labeled it as a link spam blog - whatever that is! :-(

Now imagine what you are faced with finding out how to unlock it by using "Google Help" - an oxymoron if there ever was one. >:-/

I tried using the "dashboard" link entitled "Tell me more". Send them a request to unlock. Okay, did that. Got a message back on the "dashboard" saying they'd send me an email telling me what to do. Great. But wait..... that email they are going to send it to isn't mine. #*!*#

Back to "Google Help".... it's a wonder I'm not an alcoholic by now.... You almost need to fortify yourself with a pitcher of margaritas before tackling that maze of pleading questions by posters and the short, curt, mostly useless "answers" by "levelers". Did not find anything useful.

After a couple of days, there was another message on the dashboard, send them my URL and they'd have a look. So, did that. Days pass. A week passes, another week passes. No more messages.

Finally, got brave again and tried Google Help again. Became alarmed when I found post after post of people asking how to get unlocked - they'd been locked out since October! Egads! Found a link to a blog that specialized in Blogger problems. That figures - I'll bet there is a fortune to be made out there by folks who have unraveled Google Speak and turned it into language that non-geeks can understand.

On that blog, I found another link to request Blogger unlock after you've gone through the dashboard links. Now, just HOW are you to know this last step if Blogger doesn't bother to tell you?? Anyway, THAT finally did it and My Camera's Eye was unlocked.

I sincerely hope this never happens again - to me or to you.

So, enough ranting. I did take some photos, mostly dog stuff which I posted on my other blogs, but did get this yard scene with some fall color.

Dogs and Birds - A Sunday Morning

2009-11-15T10:36:00.003-06:00

This morning I took Guy and Prize over to Animal Barn's agility field to meet up with a club member to practice. Prize was so cute, jumping up on the pause table, but I couldn't get her to stay long enough for a photo. So we worked around for awhile until her tongue was hanging out.....

....the little stinker NEVER wants to quit! It's suppose to ALWAYS be her turn. I snapped this one before luring her in with a treat so Guy could have a turn.

As I went out to the van to go, I noticed the fungi on a dead privet hedge bush... The blue and green rings on it are quite attractive.

Before I could leave for AB this morning, we all had to go on our morning walk about and when I got back to the house, I noticed there were bluebirds about. Unfortunately, I can't sit out there and try for a photo because the dogs all have to be out there, too..... hence, no birds. So, I stood inside and shot these through the window door.

When we first moved here, I put up blue bird boxes to try and attract some, but red headed woodpeckers took them over. I finally gave up.... I don't know what changed, but now there are loads of them around! Go figure...

Along with the blue birds, there were some other birds about their size. I got a shot of this one and I think it's a yellow rumped warbler.... According to my bird guide book, they winter in this area.

Cute little fella at any rate....

My Saturday

2009-11-08T09:06:00.003-06:00

Yesterday was the Mobile SPCA's annual Southminster Mutt Show and all the volunteers were out in force to make it a memorable event. It was a gorgeous day, not a cloud in the sky and loads of people and dogs turned out for all the fun.

My HQ for the day

My duty station was the raffle booth. There were some fantastic items donated... which made it very easy to sell tickets! Items like massages, Starbucks baskets, dinners to fabulous eateries around town, wine and cheese baskets, home make food delivered to your door, music CD, baskets for dog and a wonderful lime green bike! Kudos to those volunteers who wrangled those awesome donations! At last count, we had sold over $600 worth!

Folks started arriving early and scoped out the best spots on the hill for great views of the competition ring.

Things got hopping after that and volunteers scrambled for their assignments.

People of all ages, dogs of all ages, sizes and shapes were in abundance.... all enjoying themselves just being together.

Pups were having tug games...

.....some were just enjoying being together and visiting with others.

Some were just taking it all in and happy to be there.

There were lots of winners sporting their ribbons...

There were really BIG dogs strutting their stuff...

....and little guys just hanging with their people.

Some were not at all embrassed to be seen in costume!

All in all, it was a great day and thanks to everyone who came out to help a good cause!

Fall Scenes

2009-10-21T09:04:00.002-05:00

I love the fall flowers.... the yellows, the blue-purple mist flowers and the way they decorate the scene. Fall flowers along my neighbor's ditch makes beauty in an odd place.

The bounty of my persimmon tree. Love those lovely, orange globes... they'll have to turn red to be sweet.